Cooking apparatus



Dec. H6 w24 'lllgj A.M.DEMUTH COOKING APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 afg 9 2sa@ Hww um. A. @.mw mma Amm Dec. L6, 1924' f. w 6 w j Patented Dec. 16,1924.

UNITED STATES ALFRED M. DEMUT'H, OF CHICAGQ, ILLINOIS.

COOKING APPARATUS.

Application flled November 22, 1922. Serial No. 602,565.

' To all 'whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, ALFRED M. DEMJJTH, a citizen of the United States,residin atv Chicago, in the county of Cook and tate of Illinois, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Cooking Apparatus, ofwhich the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in cooking apparatus and morespecifically to the type known as pressure cookers, in which articles offood are hermetically sealed and are cooked by the pressure of the steamor vapor formed in the receptacle.

Heretofore considerable difficulty and inconvenience has beenexperienced with cookers of this character'in that the flame for heatingthe cooking vessel impinges the bottom of the vessel with the resultthat the articles of food resting upon the bottom often stick to thebottom and become burned. Furthermore considerable difficulty is alsoexperienced by reason of the fact that vthe juices and liquids in thereceptacle are often conveyed into the valves and pressure gauge withthe result that they become clogged and oftentimes inoperative.Furthermore with pressure cookers of this character and as nowconstructed the lid or cover for the receptacle is secured or fastenedby means'of a plurality of screws and thumb nuts, necessitating theadjustment 'of a number of thumb nuts before the lcover can be removed.After the receptacle has been in use for any length of time these nutsbecome heated to the extent lthat they stick and are difiicult means forprotecting the articles of food and prevent them from becoming burnedand from sticking to the bottom of the vessel at points where the flamecontacts with the bottom of the vessel.

A further object is to provide improved means for preventing the liquidwithin the vessel from enteringthe valves and gauge during the cookingoperation.

A further object is to provide improved means for securing the lid. orclosure in position.

To the attainment of these ends and the accomplishment ofother new anduseful ob- .Ik jects as will appear, the invention consists in thefeatures of novelty in substantially the construction, combination andarrangement of the several parts, hereinafter more fully described andclaimed and shown in the accompanying drawings illustrating thisinvention, and in which- Figure 1 is a view partly in vertical section,partly in elevation and partly broken away of a cooker of this characterconstructed in accordance with the principles of this invention.

Figure 2 is a top plan view of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a detail sectional view taken on line 3 3, Figure 1.

Figure 4 Vis a bottom plan view of Figure 1.

Figure 5 is an enlarged elevation of one of the fastening catches forthe closure.

Figure 6 isa plan view of a detail.

Referring more particularly to the drawing the numeral 10 designatesgenerally a Vessel or container which may be constructed of any suitablematerial and of any desired size and configuration, the bottom l1 ofwhich is preferably o'f a thickness slightly greater than the sides ofthe vessel.

Projecting below the bottom 11 is a flange 12, which if desired may be acontinuation lof the wall 10 and thisflange 12 is provided with aplurali-ty of inwardly extending laterally projecting lugs 13, spacedabout the circumference of the flange. Any number of these lugs 13 maybe provided and are disposed in close proximity to the outer face ofthebottom 11.

A supplemental bottom 14 is provided for the vessel. This bottom 14 maybeconstructed of any suitable material and is of a configuration toconform to the contour, of the outer face of the bottom 11. Thesupplemental bottom 14 is provided with a recess 15, opening Ithroughyits upper face and which recess terminates considerably short of theperiphery of the bottom 14 to form a circumferential portion 16 having aseries of recesses or notches 17 opening through the periphery.

Seated within the recess-'15 is a member 18 which is constructed ofanysuitablereproof material such as asbestos or the like, which fitssnugly within the' recess so that the upper face thereof standssubstantially Hush with the upper face of the flange 16.

If desired lugs or projections 19 may extend beyond the lower face ofthe supplemental bottom 14. The supplemental bottom 14 is secured inposition so that the material 18 will contact with the outer face of thebottom 11 and the recesses or notches 17 will be in position to receiveor permit the lugs 13 to pass therethrough, after which the supplementalbottom 14 may be shifted or rotated with respect to the bottom 11 tocause the notches or recesses 17v to pass out of alinement with the lugs13, with the result that the flange 16 will Ibe wedged between the lugs13 and the bottom 11 for securingI the supplemental bottom 14 inposition.

The projections 19 serve as a means whereby the bottom 14 may be shiftedwith respect to the bottom l1 for securing the bottom 14 in position orfor removing'the same, and they also serve as a means for supporting thevessel when the bottom 14 is in position.

With this improved construction it will be manifest that when the vesselis placed over a llame the name will impinge the bottom 14 ybut thematerial 18 between the bottom 14 and the bottom 11 causes the heat tobe dissipated uniformly throughout the bottom 11 and will prevent thearticles from sticking to the bottom. l

A closure 20 is provided for the vessel and which closure may beprovided with a depending flange'l 21 adapted to engage the innersurface of the wall 10. The cover is preferably arched as shown landthere may be supported upon the cover a fitting such as a safety blow 0Edevice 22, a fitting such as a ressure gauge 23, and a fitting such as are ief valve 24, all of which have communication with the interior ofthe vessel 10.

The closure may also be provided with handles 25 for transporting thesame and handles 26 may be secured tothe vessel 10.

The cover 20 is preferably provided with a plurality of lugs 27projecting laterally from the lower face thereof for supporting a member28, which latter may be constructed of any suitable material and isprovided with recesses 29 opening through the peri hery thereof, Whilethe body portion pre erably adjacent its diametric center is providedwith a plurality of openings or apertures 30.

The element 28 may be secured to the cover 2() by placing the notches orrecesses 29 adjacent the respective lugs 27 to permit the latter to passthrough the recesses or notches,

after which the element 28 may be rotated with respect to the cover orclosure 20 so that the .recesses or notches 29 will pass out ofalinement with the lu s 27. l

The element 28 may e rotated in any suitable manner such as by means ofa l handle 31 connected therewith.

The element 28 is provided iii order to prevent the liquid in the vessel10 from splashing or entering into the passageways leading to thefittings connected with the closure, as the liquid if it is agitated toa sufficient eX- tent, will be arrested by the element 28 that itco-operates withthe closure 20 to form a comparatively small spacetherebetween and adjacent the entrance passage to the fittings in theclosure.

The closure 2() may be secured in position upon the vessel in anydesired or suitable manner but preferably by means of a clamping bar 32,which may be constructed of any suitable material and of any desiredsize and configuration, but is preferably of a length slightly greaterthan'the diameter of the closure and carried by eachend of the bar 32 isa member 33 pivoted to the bar intermediate its ends as at 34. One endof the member 33 is of a hook shape formation as at 35, and the otherend is shaped to form a to engage under the projections 37, the Stressof the spring, however, being adapted to'be overcome by the operation ofthe handles 36, to disengage the hooks 35 from the lugs or projections37.

A plate or member 39 of an extended area,

is adapted to engage and rest upon the closure 2O at its diametriccenter and engagmg the plate 39 is a screw 4(),.which is threadedthrough the bar 32, and which screw is provided with an operating handle41 in a convenient position for the operator.

The screw 40 has a swivel connection 42 with the plate 39 and whichconnection may be of any desired construction which will permit themember 40 to be screwed through the bar 32 until the plate 39 engagesthe closure A20 and a further rotation of tho member 40 will force 'theplate 39 against the closure 20, the member 40 rotating with respect tothe plate- 39 during the latter part, of the operation of the member 40.

With this improved construction it will be manifest that pressure beingexerted at the diametric center of the closure 20,l and over lanextended area, will cause the closure to -throughout the periphery ofthe closure.

This is advantageous because heretofre pressure of the fastening meanson the closure. at different points throughout its circumference,rendering it possible for the pressure of the steam in the cooker to pryopen the cooker. By exerting the securing pressure upon the closure atits diametric center the closure will be held with equal pressure at allpoints through its circumference.

Obviously the element 28 may be detached from the cover by rotating theelement until the recesses 29 are in alinement with the lugs 2T, andlikewise the supplemental bottom 14 may be removed from the vessel byrotating the supplemental bottom 14 through the medium of the lugs 19,until the notches or recesses 17 are in alinement with the lugs 12.

I The term itting as employed in the specification and claim is not tobe construed as a term of limitation but is intended to cover any kindof a fitting which is connected with the cover and which hascommunication with'the interior of the vessel, such as a safety blow oidevice, a gauge,

l* a pet cock, etc.

' shield and spaced to be understood that various changes may be made inthe details of construction and yin the combination and arrangement ofthe several parts, Within the scope of the claim, without departing fromthe spirit of this invention.

lVhat is claimed as new is A cooking vessel, a closure therefor, valvemechanism connected with the closure and having communication with theinterior of the vessel, said closure having a downwardly projectingflange spaced from the peripheryv of the closure, laterally projectinglugs extending inwardly from the flange and spaced above the lower edgeof the flange, and a shield extending across the closure and havingrecesses opening through the periphery thereof to receive the said lugswhereby the'shield may Lbe placed in position and then rotated to causethe periphery of the shield to pass above the said lugs to be held inposition by the said lugs against the adjacent overhanging portion ofthe said closure, there beine apertures through the om the peripherythere- In testimony whereof have signed my naine to this specification,on this 18th day of November, AnD. 1922.

'ALFRED M. DEMUTH.

